The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-12-29

Again, this Gospel well, like the one
spoken of in the text, is e. captured we'll.
David remembered the time when that
good water of Bethlehem was in the pos
session of his ancestors. His father drank
there his mother drank there. He remem-
bered how the water tasted when boy
and came up there from play.
David thought of that well, that boy
hood well, and he wanted drink of it, but
he remembered that the Philistines had
captured it. When those three men tried
to come up to the we'll in behalf of David,
they saw swords cleaning around about
it. And this is true of this Gospel well.
The Philistnes have at times captured it.
When come to take a full old fash
toned drink of pardon and comfort, do not
their swords of indi ,nation and sarcasm
flash? Why, the skeptics tell us that we
can not come to this fountain!
They say the water is not fit to
drink, any how. IF you are really
thirsty now, there is the well
of philo ,ophy, there is the we'll of art,
there is the well of science" They try to
substitute, instead of our boyhood faith,
modern mixture. They say great many
beautiful things about the soul, and they
try to feed our immortal hunger on rose
leaves, and mix a mint-julep of worldly
stimulants, when nothing will satisfy US
but
A drink of the water of the we'll Of Bethle-
hem, whichIs by the gate.
They try to starve us on husks, when
the Fathers banquet is ready, and the
best ring is taken from the casket, aud
the sweetest harp is struck for the music,
and the swiftest foot is already lifted for
the dance. They patronize Heaven and
abolish hell, and try to measure eternity
with their hour-glass and the throne of
the great God with their yard stick! /
abhor it. tell you the old Gospel we'll is
a captured well. I pray God that there
may be somewhere in the elect host three
anonted men with courage enough to go
forth in the strength of tho omnipotent
God, with the glittering swords of truth,
to hew the way back again to that old
well.
think the tide is turning, and that the
old Gospel is to take its place again in the
family, and in the university, and in the
legislative hail. Men have tried worldly
PHILOSOPHERS, and have found out that
they do not give any comfort, and that
they drop an Arctic midnight upon the
death-pillow. They fail when there is
dead chill in the house; and when the
soul comes to leap into the fathomless
ocean of eternity, they give to the man
not so much as a broken spar to cling to.
Depend upon it that we'll will come into
our possession again, though it has been
captured. If there be not three anointed
men in the Lords host with conservation
to do the work, then the swords will leap
from Jehovah's buckier, and the eternal
4 ~
the Son, God the Holy Ghost-conquering
for our dying race the way back again to
The water of the well Of Bethlehem, which is
by the gate
If God be for us, who can be against us?
II God spared MOI his own son. but freely
gave him up for US all, how shall he not with
! him also freely give US all things.
For am persuaded that neither height, nor
depth, nor angels, nor prncipalities, nor
| powers, nor things present, Lpr things to come,
Shall take from us into final captivity,
the Gospel of my blessed Lord Jesus
| Christ.
Again, the Gospel well, like the one
| spoken of in my text, is a well at the
gate. The traveller stops the camel to-
| day and gets down and dips out of the val.
ley OF the East some very beautiful, clear,
| bright WATER and that is out of the very
| that that well was at the gate, so that no.
body could 60 into Bethlehem without
| going right past it? And SO it is with
this Gospel well-it is at the gate. It is,
in the first place, at the gate of purifica-
ton. We can not wash away our sins
| unless with that water. l take the
respons Utility of saying that there is
no man, woman or child in this
hat hoe -, f,,l i
| Element. Do you say it is outrageous
| and ungallant for me to make such a
| charge? Do you say, 81 have never
| stolen-I have never blasphemed-I have
never committed unchastty-I have never
| been guilty of murder?" l reply, you
have committed a sin worse than bias
phemy, worse than unchastity, worse
| than theft, worse than murder. We have
all committed it. We have by our sin re-
| crucfied the Lord, and that is decide.
And if there be any who dare to plead
| mot guilty" to the Indictment, then the
| hosts of Heaven will be impaueled as a
| jury TO render unanimous verdict
| against us. With what sashing stroke
that one passage cuts us away from all
our pretensons:
There is none that doeth good-no not one.
Oh3 say sOIlic OHe, Ill we want, all
the race wants, is development" Now 1
want to tell you that the race develops
without the Gospel into a Sodom, a Five
Points, Great Salt Lake City. 1t al
ways develops downward, never upward,
except as the grace of God lays hold of it.
When, then, is to become of our soul with
out Christ? Banishment. Disaster. But
bless my Lord Jesus Christ that there is
| we'll at the gate of publication. For
great sin, great pardon. For eighty years
of transgression, an eternity of forgive.
| ness. For crime deep as hell, an atone
| ment high as Heaven:
| That where sin abounded, so grace may much
more abound; that as sin reigned unto death,
| even so may grace reign through righteousness
| unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Angel of the Covenant, dip thy wing in
| this living fountain to- day, that our souls
| may be washed in ''the water of the we'll
| of Bethlehem, which is by the gate"
| Further, remark that this we'll of the
| Gospel is at the gate Of comfort. Do you
| know where David was when he uttered
| the words of the text? He was in the cave
| OF Adullam. That Is where some of you
are now. Has the world always gone
l --kl Il Al